Municipalities and industries are faced with significant problems of treating solid and liquid waste and disposing of same without any detrimental effects to the surrounding environment. This problem is complicated in that the characteristics of sludges generated by various industrial processes vary greatly in their content, thus making dewatering of these sludges more complicated. The problem is further complicated in that in many industrial processes, certain toxic substances are generated which are found in the sludge together with normal pathogens and microorganisms which must be neutralized and stabilized. Certain Federal requirements require each industrial point source to identify the outflow of substances from the industrial process and in many instances, depending upon the content of such outflow, the industrial processor is required to take certain steps to remove these toxic or hazardous substances.
Applicant is the holder of U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,932 for a method and apparatus for the disintegration and destruction of hazardous and toxic sludge materials.
The Applicant has further refined the aforesaid process with reference to the dewatering of filter cake generated by water companies in the treatment of their water sources prior to the introduction of the water into the distribution system. This filter cake or sludge generated by water companies is of particular complexity with respect to dewatering as a result of the processes and the chemicals which the water is subjected to in its treatment prior to introduction into the water system. Applicant's method and apparatus is able to achieve a greater degree of dewatering with respect to this type of sludge than previously accomplished in the industry and at the same time, Applicant's method and apparatus will have application to other types of sludges generated by different industrial processes.